Re-appraising Widal test as a diagnostic tool in Nigeria

Authors

  • Kennedy Tamunoimiegbam Wariso University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital/ University of Port harcourt

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.60787/tnhj.v16i4.247

Keywords:

Widal Test, Diagnosis, Nigeria

Abstract

The standard for the diagnosis of typhoid fever depends on the isolation of the organism from the patient’s bone marrow, blood, urine or stool through culture. However, the Widal test can be used as a serological test for the same purpose if a fourfold antibody titer can be obtained from the patient. The problem is that many laboratories do not receive a second serum sample and so, reliance is placed on one sample for diagnosis. This is not the correct methodology for Widal test and therefore, the result should not be authentic. Clinicians are advised to be more careful while examiningtheir suspected with typhoid fever especially knowing that there may also be false positiveresults with Widal tests.Key words:Widal test, typhoid fever, diagnosis, Nigeria

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Author Biography

Kennedy Tamunoimiegbam Wariso, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital/ University of Port harcourt

Senior Lecturer, Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology

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Published

2017-02-28

How to Cite

Wariso, K. T. (2017). Re-appraising Widal test as a diagnostic tool in Nigeria. The Nigerian Health Journal, 16(4), 249. https://doi.org/10.60787/tnhj.v16i4.247
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